Melkorka

A name with a majestic, but snappy sound, Melkorka is an intriguing choice that appears in the Landnámabók and the Laxdæla saga, significant Icelandic texts from the 9th- and 13th-century. She was the Irish mother of the goði (or chieftain), Ólafr Höskuldsson.

The exact origins of Melkorka are unknown, but one theory is that it comes from Mael Curcaig, meaning "servant of Curcach", Curcah being the name of several Irish saints, Other theories are that it comes from corcra meaning "purple" or corca meaning "oats" in Old Irish.

The name features in the 2007 novel Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by author Donna Jo Napoli, and is borne by actress Melkorka Davíðsdóttir Pitt and Melkorka Ólafsdóttir.

Pronounced MEL-kor-kuh.